:avs: @ Leafs Preview and is available for view here: RIS, LEAFS TV (HD) and with a TV start of 7:30pm EDT.
Season Series: This is the first and only meeting between these inter-conference opponents. Toronto won in Colorado last season, 7-4. Dominic Moore, who is now with Florida, scored a pair of goals to power the Leafs. Milan Hejduk tallied twice for the Avalanche, but had a third goal disallowed because of a questionable goalie interference penalty called against then-teammate Ryan Smyth.
Big Story: Toronto garnered all the attention during the offseason when GM Brian Burke rebuilt the roster, adding more size and grit. It hasn't translated into victories in the first handful of games, however. Colorado, on the other hand, was seemingly an afterthought in the wake of its last-place finish in the Western Conference, but the Avalanche retooled through the draft and free agency, and are surging out of the gate.
Team Scope:
:avs: After getting off to a 2-0-0 start at home, Colorado hit the road for a mammoth, seven-game swing that may provide a better indication as to whether this team is for real. The Avalanche are 1-1-1 following Monday's 4-3 win over Boston, the top seed in the Eastern Conference last season. After Tuesday's game, they still have stops left to make in Montreal, Detroit and Minnesota before heading back to the Pepsi Center.
"One game at a time," goalie Craig Anderson said after making 29 saves against the Bruins. "That's been what we pride ourselves in. They're a great team. They weren't the best team in the East last year for no reason. They found a way to win the last game. The puck didn't have the same lightning tonight."
Maple Leafs: Since picking up a point in their opener, an overtime loss at home against Montreal, it's been all downhill for Toronto. Four more defeats have followed, all in regulation. The Leafs have allowed five or more goals in three of those them, including Monday night's 7-2 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
"We kept battling," coach Ron Wilson said. "Until the third period, until that fourth goal seemed to discourage us completely -- which was the disturbing thing. But we had, unfortunately, a number of guys who didn't want to take a hit to make a play to get the puck out of our end, and it ended up in our net."
Season Series: This is the first and only meeting between these inter-conference opponents. Toronto won in Colorado last season, 7-4. Dominic Moore, who is now with Florida, scored a pair of goals to power the Leafs. Milan Hejduk tallied twice for the Avalanche, but had a third goal disallowed because of a questionable goalie interference penalty called against then-teammate Ryan Smyth.
Big Story: Toronto garnered all the attention during the offseason when GM Brian Burke rebuilt the roster, adding more size and grit. It hasn't translated into victories in the first handful of games, however. Colorado, on the other hand, was seemingly an afterthought in the wake of its last-place finish in the Western Conference, but the Avalanche retooled through the draft and free agency, and are surging out of the gate.
Team Scope:
:avs: After getting off to a 2-0-0 start at home, Colorado hit the road for a mammoth, seven-game swing that may provide a better indication as to whether this team is for real. The Avalanche are 1-1-1 following Monday's 4-3 win over Boston, the top seed in the Eastern Conference last season. After Tuesday's game, they still have stops left to make in Montreal, Detroit and Minnesota before heading back to the Pepsi Center.
"One game at a time," goalie Craig Anderson said after making 29 saves against the Bruins. "That's been what we pride ourselves in. They're a great team. They weren't the best team in the East last year for no reason. They found a way to win the last game. The puck didn't have the same lightning tonight."
Maple Leafs: Since picking up a point in their opener, an overtime loss at home against Montreal, it's been all downhill for Toronto. Four more defeats have followed, all in regulation. The Leafs have allowed five or more goals in three of those them, including Monday night's 7-2 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
"We kept battling," coach Ron Wilson said. "Until the third period, until that fourth goal seemed to discourage us completely -- which was the disturbing thing. But we had, unfortunately, a number of guys who didn't want to take a hit to make a play to get the puck out of our end, and it ended up in our net."
